Record-Breaking Thread

The Mini program at LRP turned out to be a GTI program. Owners brought their cars and the dealership sponsoring the event brought a few cars to use for lead follows on track and to let owners sample on the autocross. All four door cars now with very nice seats.

Did lead-follows on track for more than an hour. In performance mode with stability turned off it still intervenes when the limits are approached. Wasn't sure if delayed power at turn-in to turn three or approaching the apex to the uphill was turbo lag or low level systems intervention. Probably a bit of both.

A fun car to drive fast though front wheel drive means the last two tenths are about managing understeer. That said they are enjoyable cars to drive fast and in street applications you'd rarely get near their limits without risking jail time.

I don't think I've ever heard much negative about the handling of the GTI, with the proviso for being FWD, of course.

It's punishing on front tires, but mostly because its limits are high enough you plow into corners too fast and let prayer, pointing the wheels in the desired direction and putting down power to save your bacon...

It's punishing on front tires, but mostly because its limits are high enough you plow into corners too fast and let prayer, pointing the wheels in the desired direction and putting down power to save your bacon...

Not really... it’s punishing on front tires as all front engine cars with front wheel drive are punishing on front tires.

A front engine car has the weight of the engine over the front wheels. A front engine car with front wheel drive is asking the front wheels to turn the car, brake the car and power the car with the added burden of the weight of the engine over them. Saab figured out the value of having engine weight over the front wheels for traction in winter driving but for ultimate handling there are no front drivers leading the pack because their overtaxed front tires are being asked to do too many things relative to a rear or all wheel drive car.

The notion that, “you plow into corners too fast and let prayer, pointing the wheels in the desired direction and putting down power to save your bacon...” would produce anything other than terminal understeer is not to understand the term “understeer”.

You never add power to get out of understeer. The only thing that reduces understeer is reducing power until you get the car pointed. Only when the car has substantially changed direction can you add power.

It’s the old friction circle. If you are only turning and braking with the front tires you have more grip than if you ask those same tires to brake, turn and power or accelerate the car.

Not really... it’s punishing on front tires as all front engine cars with front wheel drive are punishing on front tires.

A front engine car has the weight of the engine over the front wheels. A front engine car with front wheel drive is asking the front wheels to turn the car, brake the car and power the car with the added burden of the weight of the engine over them. Saab figured out the value of having engine weight over the front wheels for traction in winter driving but for ultimate handling there are no front drivers leading the pack because their overtaxed front tires are being asked to do too many things relative to a rear or all wheel drive car.

The notion that, “you plow into corners too fast and let prayer, pointing the wheels in the desired direction and putting down power to save your bacon...” would produce anything other than terminal understeer is not to understand the term “understeer”.

You never add power to get out of understeer. The only thing that reduces understeer is reducing power until you get the car pointed. Only when the car has substantially changed direction can you add power.

It’s the old friction circle. If you are only turning and braking with the front tires you have more grip than if you ask those same tires to brake, turn and power or accelerate the car.

It’s a zero sum game no matter how grippy your tires are.

Agreed. What I MEANT to say was that if you miss turning where you were supposed to due to overfast/understeer, you can use the engine's power to regain a semblance of a good lap time once you've gotten it pointed in approximately the right direction.

And while I'm being honest, I just meant its wearing out front tires due to its FWD configuration, not that it was worse than other FWD cars. I usually go the AWD (big surprise) or RWD route, and in comparison to THEM the fronts take more punishment.

[Rather than the rears or all four, natch. But that's expected of race cars.]

As a professional automotive journalist I received the official falling-on sword for things like this, but I'd really prefer to leave it unused and sealed in its original packaging. If I promise to post more carefully in the future can we let this one slide? [Wait. Understeer references got me into this mess. Forget that last bit...]

Agreed. What I MEANT to say was that if you miss turning where you were supposed to due to overfast/understeer, you can use the engine's power to regain a semblance of a good lap time once you've gotten it pointed in approximately the right direction.

And while I'm being honest, I just meant its wearing out front tires due to its FWD configuration, not that it was worse than other FWD cars. I usually go the AWD (big surprise) or RWD route, and in comparison to THEM the fronts take more punishment.

[Rather than the rears or all four, natch. But that's expected of race cars.]

As a professional automotive journalist I received the official falling-on sword for things like this, but I'd really prefer to leave it unused and sealed in its original packaging. If I promise to post more carefully in the future can we let this one slide? [Wait. Understeer references got me into this mess. Forget that last bit...]

Got the grass cut last night, after not being able to get to it for tow and half weeks. With the weather we've been getting in Ontario, I suspect this won't be the last time, either. Another beautiful weekend coming up, temps up to 20+.

The thing is there are enough of them sitting around on dealer lots that you could probably pick one up at a fair price after a bit of searching. In some places their cover has been blown and they are in demand but in other places there are deals to be made. The dealer that supplies Lime Rock has a bunch of them.

The thing is there are enough of them sitting around on dealer lots that you could probably pick one up at a fair price after a bit of searching. In some places their cover has been blown and they are in demand but in other places there are deals to be made. The dealer that supplies Lime Rock has a bunch of them.

They aren't cheap but a great value sleeper.

Unfortunately I won't be in the market until this time next year when my lease runs out. I want something a little shouty. A fast and loud and loose 4-door.

The thing is there are enough of them sitting around on dealer lots that you could probably pick one up at a fair price after a bit of searching. In some places their cover has been blown and they are in demand but in other places there are deals to be made. The dealer that supplies Lime Rock has a bunch of them.

They aren't cheap but a great value sleeper.

For all the love the LEOs I know have for the Caprice and Charger, you'd think a police version of the SS would've been a no-brainer, but the apparent no-brainer was GM.

Even if they got half the "pursuit vehicle" market (admittedly they'd make terrible cruisers) they'd have moved a ton of them...

Well we are out of the ICU, all the lines are out. He's eating, seems to be happier, there is a good chance we are going to be out tomorrow, no later than Sunday Afternoon at this point. Thanks everyone for the support. It was much appreciated. I feel like things for Thomas could not have gone any better, and so do the doctors. I'm not going to say it was easy, but it could have been far worse.

Sunday - Skipped Saturday, I guess, though not a lot was going on. My gal and I might take in a movie this afternoon and will almost certainly go out to dinner. I'm thinking Pad Thai is due for another visit.